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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wax — to grow
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — all right
  18. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com